conv90

My 383 is done and as many of yo know I'm in Italy.
There are many suggestion of the use of conventional - dino- mineral -petroleum based motor oil for break in.
The last time (3 years go) i made a rebuilt (a 355 ) I used synthetic for the first 200 miles then switched to blend - or semi-synthetic motor oil. Then I allways used semi-synthetic.
the engines always used oil from the day one.
This time I said: With my new 383 I will use regular dino oil.
The suggested SAE should be 5W30 or 10W30.
Here the problem:
Try to ask a petroleum based oil here in Italy (and in Europe too). You will have many difficult to find it!
If found, it will be ALWAYS 15W40 or a 15W50. IMPOSSIBLE to find a petroleum based oil that is not 15W40 or 15w50.

If you search from semisynthetic or Blend.. you can find 10W40. I repeat only 10W40.
If you serch for fully synt you can find any kind of viscosity from
0w20
0w30
5w30 (but only for Turbo diesel engines.. )
5w50
5w40
10w50.... and on and on I senn also a 0-60....
NO 5w30 NO 10w30.
I had to use a 15W40 for my first 300 miles hoping to find a much fluid oil before to do the next change.
I'm in the way to change the oil and I'm not sure which is the best to use or the less bad.
I also asked to a Germay/Deutche source and they said that in petroleum based they have only 15W40. When the man uderstand that I wanted a 5w30 he had an Heart attack saying that with a thin oil like this I will trash my new engine in a couple of hundred kilometers. I'm not stupid to believe in him but I was scared about his statement.
The "blend" oil can be found in 10W40 and there is not the percentage of dino and synthetic used ..
Now I put 5 quart of 15W40 again because I need to use the car...
what's your thought about this?
Thanks
-Beppe-

bogus

wow... to start with, 5/30 dino oil isn't gonna trash your engine.

can you check with Castrol or ExxonMobil? Those are 2 global petrochemical companies... never know...

15/40 should not harm anything... but it is a bit thicker then I would like to use. However, you are entering the summer months, so it should be ok. It it was near freezing, I would be worried, but it's warmer now.

conv90

Yes, here in Europe we have all kind of brand including Mobil, Castrol, Valvoline, Tamoil, Elf...
the differece is that for the european market they do not offers 10w30 or 5w30.
If you go in the Valvoline web site (the USA one) you can find any kind of conventional oil. If you switch to the Italian one you can't find the 5W and the 10W.

I will do 3 o 4 changes with the 15w40 dino oil in this summer, then when at 3 or 4000 miles (near to the winter) I will swich to a Mobil1 100% synt 5W50.
-Beppe-

Red Tornado

Beppe, I think you'll be fine with your plan. For the dino changes, I would change oil + filter on a new rebuild in the following intervals:

@ +50 mi.
@ +500 mi.
@ +1,000 mi.

Then your normal intervals thereafter; you'll see more crap in the oil after a rebuild in the 1rst 1,000 miles than you'll see in the whole next 75,000.

conv90

I'm at the first change in the first 300 miles where i used the engine like a crazy man... WOT,WOT and Again WOT, two 20 min sessions on the track and some 5800 rpm in these first 300 miles, long accelerations and decelerations with the shifter in 2.
The oil is not so bad as expected ...
-Beppe-

conv90

...The C5 never tried to pass me...
The silver C4 is one lap less!

Red Tornado